Turn an Ordinary Dividend Into a Double- or Triple-Digit Yield

Some folks are happy with a 2% dividend.

But that's probably because they don't know about a strategy that allows them to collect a 40% dividend... from the exact same stock.

This little-known income boost can make a huge difference. I call this strategy the "424 Dividend Boost" because companies that offer these plans detail them in prospectus-like documents called 424 documents. The technical name for these programs is "Dividend Reinvestment Plans" (DRIPs).

DRIPs are schemes where companies sell their stock direct to the investing public. It's like buying a pair of sneakers from a "factory direct" outlet instead of going to Foot Locker at the mall. The absence of broker fees is a popular benefit of DRIPs. By buying stock direct from the company, you avoid the commissions or fees brokers and money managers charge.

DRIPs offer many other benefits: discounted shares, automatic small monthly payments (even if the amount you pay buys only a fraction of a share), optional cash purchase of additional shares directly from the company, and automatic dividend reinvestment, sometimes at a discount.

DRIPs are a convenient, cost-effective tool for investing in stocks. But the real magic in DRIPs happens when you pick DRIP stocks that pay larger dividends each year.

Let's say you enroll in a DRIP. Shares trade for $10 each and you buy 100 shares. Total cost: $1,000. Let's say the stock yields 5% and the dividend does not grow. We'll assume the share price stays fixed at $10 for simplicity's sake.

After 12 years, your 5% dividend yield has turned into a 9% yield.

Now, let's assume this company grows its dividend by 10% each year. So the 5% dividend yield turns into a 39% yield within 12 years.

Financial data publishing firm Mergent releases a list of "Dividend Achievers" each quarter. Stocks with Dividend Achiever status have raised dividends for at least 10 years in a row. Out of 20,000 publicly traded U.S. stocks, around 300 meet the requirement for Dividend Achiever status.

Dividend Achievers are the perfect stocks to buy in DRIPs. They raise their dividends every year... They tend to be the strongest American businesses with the best franchises, like Johnson & Johnson or Altria... And right now – with the 30% plummet in the Dow in the last 12 months – is a perfect time to buy them for the long term.

Good investing,